X

NeoMano robotic glove helps paralyzed hands grip again

The glove helps people with a spinal cord injury perform everyday tasks like holding a cup or brushing their teeth.

Patrick Holland Managing Editor
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Expertise Apple, iPhone, iOS, Android, Samsung, Sony, Google, Motorola, interviews, coffee equipment, cats Credentials
  • Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
Patrick Holland
2 min read
neomano-neofect-company-3854-001

The NeoMano robotic glove is designed to help people who have a spinal cord injury perform everyday tasks.

Josh Miller/CNET

A spinal cord injury can have a lasting effect on the quality of the life you're able to lead. Depending on the severity of damage, symptoms can include pain, numbness or even paralysis, rendering everyday tasks nearly impossible. But a new robotic glove called the NeoMano hopes to help people who suffer from spinal cord injuries regain use of their hand.

Neofect, a Korean company known for rehabilitation tools such as the Rapael Smart Board and the Rapael Smart Glove, showed off a prototype of the NeoMano here at CES . It's made of leather and looks a bit like an archery glove that covers just the thumb, index and middle finger.

Watch this: NeoMano glove helps paralyzed hands move again

It has titanium wires that can move those three fingers to perform tasks such as picking up a glass, holding a toothbrush or gripping a door knob. The NeoMano has a controller with two settings: grip, which steadily curls your fingers around an object, and release, which extends the fingers back to a resting position.

After the popularity of the Rapael Smart Glove, Neofect received interest from people with hand paralysis. Since the Smart Glove was built for stroke patients, the company decided to create an entirely new glove specifically for people with spinal cord injuries.

The NeoMano will seek funding through a Kickstarter campaign in the spring and is expected to be available later this year.

All the cool new gadgets at CES 2018

See all photos

What to expect from the big screens of 2018: From OLED to QLED to Micro LED, CES is the place where screen time is absolutely friggin' huge. Here's a peek.

CES 2018: CNET's complete coverage of tech's biggest show.